We are taking a cheap RyanAir flight from Ireland to Beauvais, but the price we pay is arriving late at night. We have 2 children and will rent a car but to make the most of our trip would like to drive to Paris right away (11:00 at night) so we don%26#39;t waste that time the next day. Would truly appreciate ideas about where to stay in Paris that would accommodate a late arrival and not be too difficult to find at that hour, or at least which areas I should look at to help limit my search. Thanks to anyone so much. Also, we are not a %26quot;fancy%26quot; family -- prefer not to pay hundreds/night!
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Bump, try again -------- I%26#39;m not the best to answer all your questions but if I remember right, you may want to verify you can pick-up your car that late ----and---- you may want to try and find something like one of the Best Western%26#39;s -- they cater to quads (which can be hard to find in Paris) , are generally affordable %26amp; well-maintained and have late-night desk clerks. You should still make sure they know you%26#39;re checking-in late so they won%26#39;t give away your room. Tip; the 1st thru 8th districts (arrondissemonts) are the most central and will help you avoid having to use your car any more than you have to --- although rare, some hotels have car parking (verify) , otherwise, you%26#39;ll need to use one of the many underground car parks throughout the city (can cost 1+ euros an hour, 24 hours a day and have differing methods of payment). Streetside parking is available if you can find a spot but some require prepaid passes (bought from a tobacco shop ??) but others can be had using coins at a nearby hourly parking pass dispensing machine (1? euro per hour , with a limit of +/- 2 hours at a time till 5pm, then free overnite till 9?am). Driving in Paris for the 1st time; have a navigator help man the map -- study it ahead of time and notice the %26quot;Periphery%26quot; road around Paris. Take the appropriate offramp into the city. You can get driving directions at www.viamichelin.com Note: Street signs in Paris are not at all prominent, they are usually small dark blue colored plaques attached to buildings (sometimes many many yards away from road-edge at corners) and hard to see at night (not lit-up). For that reason, its good to anticipate the streets before and after so you won%26#39;t get too far off-track if you miss the one you%26#39;re after. Another oddity (for us from the US anyway) is the customary %26quot;honking%26quot; 2 seconds after the signals turn green. I don%26#39;t think they mean any insults with this habit (in L.A. , that would get you shot) , just go with flow. If you end up getting a place further afield, they have an excellent metro system for daily use (along with some expert pickpockets as well -- beware of distractions -- don%26#39;t flash cash %26amp; watch each others goodies). Happy Trails.
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Hi Nancy
I think the safest bet at that hour would be to avoid renting the car at the airport and just take the Ryanair shuttle to Porte Maillot and then a taxi to the centre and rent the car when you are leaving Paris. It is not cheap as the shuttle is 13 Euros each way. I noticed on another of your posts that your children are 10 and 13 but I am not sure if either is entitled to a discounted fare. Depending where you stay in Paris, traffic - at that hour probably only a problem on the weekend - and the amount of luggage you have (I think it is 1 Euro a bag) the taxi should not be more than about 20 Euros, a lot less if you stay somewhere near the Arc de Triomphe on the first night and perhaps move the next day to another hotel.
A Best Western or similar could be a good choice for the reasons mentioned and you could look at some of these hotels with quad rooms for the other nights if the BW was too expensive for the whole trip.
http://tinyurl.com/3y8sma
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Is there a reason you are planning to rent a car as soon as you arrive at BVA? You definitely do NOT want a car in Paris, especially if you are staying longer then one night. Leaving aside the fact that it is not the easiest city for a stranger to drive in, on-street parking is a near impossibility to find and off-street parking usually inconvenient and always expensive. The public transport system — métro and bus — is one of the world%26#39;s best and is very good value for money. Depending what day you arrive you may be able to get a pass (Carte Orange) that would give each of you unlimited trael within the city for little more than 2€ a day. You are aware that BVA is some 75 km north of Paris, right?
I am guessing that you are travelling from Dublin. If you have not already booked your Ryanair flights have you looked at the possibility of flying with Aer Lingus to CDG? Given Ryanair%26#39;s punitive baggage policies and fees and the inconvenience of getting into Paris in the late evening you might find Aer Lingus a better alternative. If that is not an option then I would suggest you consider either a private van service to your hotel or that you take the regular Beauvais shuttle to Porte Maillot and perhaps stay at a hotel within walking distance of that location if you do not want to use the métro or a taxi to get from that point. This company specializes in shuttle service both shared and private between BVA and Paris: http://beauvais.airport-shuttle.com/. I have no personal knowledge of their reliability or lack of same. Grey Shuttle www.greyshuttle.com is generally well spoken of but you would have to get a quote from them for service from BVA. (It would help to know the ages of your children. If they are 2 and 4 getting to a hotel in the late evening will be a different matter that if they are 12 and 14.)
If you are leaving Paris immediately for somewhere else in France you would probably be better advised to stay outside the city proper, though where would depend on exactly where you are heading for.
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I just noticed from Faux%26#39;s post that your children are 10 and 13. That being the case I would definitely suggest that you simply take the shuttle to P.M. (13€ each) and then a taxi — you may need two if you have significant luggage and there is not a minivan-type taxi immediately available — from there.
If you stay somewhere on the west side of Paris the taxi will not be very expensive. In any case in the long run it will be a lot less expensive than renting a car and paying for parking, even if it is only for a couple of days.
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